Only a Father's Love
by sandyoceanbreeze
Summary: Bella, Snape's 16-year-old Muggle daughter, develops Anorexia, an eating disorder. She moves from London to Hogwarts so her father can help her get better. Along the way, she makes some wonderful friends: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley.
1. The Iron Gate

Bella ran as fast as her legs could take her. She knew she was in deep trouble. Her mother was probably calling the police right now, or worse… her father.

But Bella couldn't stop.

As her legs took her farther and farther from home, her thoughts grew more clear. The cool London night air bit at her skin. It was 9 p.m. in October, and the streets were still busy with shoppers, diners, and people just out and about.

Running through the streets in her pajamas, Bella received a fair share of odd looks. She didn't care though. She only had one thing on her mind: him. She had to see him. She didn't care what her mother said. She didn't care if she was grounded for the rest of her life. She just didn't care.

Her legs carried her two blocks further and stopped. She stood outside an iron gate. The street lamp was out and the city block deserted. She was glad. She wanted to be alone. She wanted it to be as dark outside as she felt inside.

Reaching out a shaky hand, she pushed the iron-gate open and walked inside the grassy area. She tripped instantly on a knocked-over stone. Catching herself, she stood back up and squinted her eyes trying to pay closer attention to the ground.

Her legs took her directly where she wanted to go. They had memorized the path to him. Smiling, she kneeled down beside the headstone. Fresh flowers stood in front of his grave. Someone else must have been there to see him today too.

Bella traced the writing on the head stone.

_Reece Olin Dorty_

_July 10, 1991 – July 15, 2007_

_Beloved Son, Friend, and Teammate_

"_It's always have and never hold  
You've begun to feel like home  
What's mine is yours to leave or take  
What's mine is yours to make your own_

_I'll look after you…"_

"Your team won today," She said softly, sitting all the way down and picking at the damp grass. "Rupert scored a goal at the very last minute. You wouldn't have believed it even if you had seen it!!" Bella looked up at the stars. She liked to think he was relaxing on a cloud listening to her. "They dedicated the win to you… Everyone was really sad you weren't there but Buddy said you'd want everyone to be happy and celebrate so we went to the pub."

Bella closed her eyes. It had been three months since her best friend had died. She missed him everyday. People told her the ache would dull but it didn't. She had been coming to his grave every chance she got. She skipped school, snuck out in the middle of the night, anything to be near him.

Bella never knew what to say first when she got here. She wanted to say so much. She always had the everyday things she wanted to share with him: funny things that happened, old friends she ran into, the latest gossip with his ex-girlfriend, his team's updates. Then she had things that weighed on her. Things she needed to say every time she came: that she was sorry, how she wouldn't forget him, and how she would always love him.

Tears welled in her eyes. She knew Reece was dead. She had seen his body in the hospital and she had seen it in the coffin. She felt like she needed to be near him though in case he was lonely. She wanted to ensure she would never forget him. Torturing herself by spending hours at his grave was her penance.

Bella laid down on the wet grace, silently crying. She didn't know how long she had been there when she felt a strong pair of hands wrap under her back and knees. She wasn't afraid. She knew that touch. Nuzzling her head into the strong arms, she relished in the familiar smell of herbs, peppermint, and chemicals.

Bella must have fallen asleep because the next thing she remembered was being laid in her warm bed and a gentle hand wiping her tears away.

"Sleep baby girl," the loving voice said, stroking her hair until she obeyed and fell into oblivion.

"I don't know what to do with her anymore," Melody said pacing the room. She had been a mess when Bella ran away. She knew exactly where Bella was but she didn't know what to do with her. She considered following her to make sure she was safe but she knew that would only make Bella run elsewhere. She was so tired of not knowing what to do.

Severus watched his best friend pace back and forth in her tiny London flat. He had known Melody since childhood. One night when they were 20 years old, they both had too much to drink and nine months later he was the father of a beautiful baby girl. He thought it would be difficult to have a Muggle daughter but it never mattered.

"Mel," he began, gently guiding her to the couch. "You're doing the best you can. Bella is so lucky to have you."

Melody rested her head on Severus's shoulder. "It's not enough Sev," she whispered. "She's getting worse. I took her to the pediatrician today and she's lost three more pounds."

Severus could hear the desperation in Melody's voice. After Reece had died, Bella stopped eating. At first they thought it was a phase. After it continued for two weeks, they grew concerned. They brought Bella to a therapist who said it was normal. After two more weeks passed and she still refused to eat, they brought her to another therapist who said she was developing Anorexia Nervosa.

They met with a nutritionist, psychologist, and doctor who all told them to stay out of it and let the professionals handle things. Severus and Bella complied because they didn't want to make things worse. But now, two months later, Bella was 5'5" and only weighed 102 pounds. The professionals had allowed Bella to lose 25 more pounds. Severus found it increasingly hard to stand by and watch his daughter starve herself to death.

"I can't do this anymore Sev," Melody whispered. Severus looked down at the woman in his arms. She had taken the brunt of this as Severus had to return to Hogwarts to teach a month and a half ago. He hated that he was away when his girls needed him. He saw Bella every weekend but it wasn't enough, especially because she was hurting so much.

Severus stood up and began to pace.

"There must be something we can do," he said, looking at Melody. She looked exhausted. "We're her parents for crying out loud! We gave her life! We take care of her! There must be someway _we_ can make her better!"

"Sev, everyone told us that we'd make it worse by butting in…" Melody said, rubbing her temples. This was a conversation she'd had with every eating disorder specialist she'd ever met.

"Worse?" Sevreus said incredulously. "Worse than what?! She's already severely underweight! They have done nothing to help her. They've just stood by and let her wither away to nothing!"

Severus walked to the fire place mantle and looked at a photo of Bella taken last year around this time. She attended the London School of Arts. Oh my, was she a magnificent painter. In the photo, she was wearing a white smock and had red and blue paint all over her face. She was smiling broadly. He missed the sight.

"Mel," Severus said suddenly. "I can't stand by idly anymore. I have to do something to help her. Someone at Hogwarts was telling me about a family-based approach to treating Anorexia. I am going to go find out all I can. I'll be back tomorrow."

Severus grabbed his coat and stood in front of Melody. She was too tired to agree or disagree.

"I don't want her going to school tomorrow," He said as an afterthought. "There's no one around to keep an eye on her."

Melody simply nodded, her eyes closed.

"You should stay home too," he said as an after thought. "You look like shit."

A slight smile lined Melody's lips. Severus bent down and kissed her forehead. "I love you, and we'll figure this out. I promise."

Melody kissed Severus's cheek and watched him walk to Bella's room. Severus watched his daughter sleep for a moment. She was 16 and absolutely beautiful: she had long straight black hair, white creamy skin, and magnificent blue eyes.

Walking over to her bed, Severus pulled her duvet up to her chin and kissed her on her forehead. "I promise we'll make you better again," he whispered.

He refused to lose his baby. She meant everything to him. Everything.

Severus walked into the living room to say goodbye to Melody but she was fast asleep. Grabbing a blanket, Severus tucked Melody in, made sure all the doors and windows were locked, and with a pop disappeared.


	2. Discovery

"Poppy!" Severus shouted as soon as he apparated into the Hogwarts Infirmary. "Poppy! I know you're here!"

Severus strode to the back of the infirmary where Poppy's office was. As usual, the nurse was asleep in her office, her head resting on an open book. Opening the door, Severus turned the lights on and shook the woman awake.

"Poppy!"

Waking with a start, Poppy stood abruptly looking panicked.

"Severus Snape!" Poppy exclaimed her voice high and shrill. "What in Merlin's name do you think you're doing causing such a fuss?!"

"She's not getting better-" Severus choked out, pacing the length of the room. "I've gone through it over and over in my head. We're her parents. We need to help her get better! No more of this stand back and wait business…"

Poppy placed a hand on Severus's shoulder. The nurse knew what Severus was talking about but his pacing made her dizzy.

"Severus, take a seat," Poppy ordered.

Severus immediately sat down. Poppy took a seat across from Severus.

"I gather we're talking about Bella here," Poppy began. Severus nodded his head wordlessly. "Alright, you said she's not getting better." Another nod. "Okay, what can I do for you?"

Severus stood again. He couldn't sit still anymore. He needed to feel like he was doing something.

"Before," he began. "When I first talked to you about this, you said you knew of a treatment that occurred at home. You said it had amazing recovery rates. We weren't interested at the time because every professional we saw said no. They said parents only make things worse. Well, we stayed away and things are worse."

Poppy looked at the man pacing before her. He looked desperate, almost wild. Poppy sighed.

"Severus, please sit. You really are making me dizzy with all this pacing."

Severus sat.

"Tell me about it," He asked. "I need to know everything I can about this treatment. I'm going to do it. I don't know how, but I will."

"It's not that easy Severus," Poppy began. "It requires a lot of patience and time and hard work. Frankly, it requires two parents and someone to be home with Bella 24 hours a day 7 days a week for the first three to six months at least."

"We'll do it. We'll make it work." Severus said. Something told him this was it, this was either the solution or there wasn't a solution. Frankly, for Severus, the later wasn't an option. Not where his daughter was concerned.

Poppy sighed and stood up. She walked over to her bookshelf and traced her fingers along the rows until she came across the title she was looking for.

"It's called the Maudsley Method," Poppy began. "There's actually the Maudsley hospital in London. If you really want to do this you should talk to the doctors down there. This book will give you the basics but they will help you through the nitty-gritty."

To Severus, the book was more valuable than gold. Holding the book to his chest, he headed for the door.

"Severus, for what it's worth, I think your daughter is very lucky to have a father like you."

Severus paused at the door.

"You can tell me that when she's better," he said, and then walked out the door for a long night of reading.

Once in his apartment, Severus opened the book Poppy gave him. Leafing through the pages, he began to think this was what Bella needed.

_The Maudsley method is a relatively new approach to anorexia treatment. The feature of the Maudsley method that makes it most unique is its use of the family of the person with the eating disorder. The child is considered separate from the disorder. No one is blamed for anything, including parents. Quite the contrary: Parents are temporarily placed in charge of the child's eating behaviors and asked to create consequences when she does not comply with eating plans. The idea is to join the parents and their child in the common goal of dealing with the eating disorder. There are three phases of treatment. The first phase of treatment helps the child to gain weight. Parents are encouraged to avoid force and punishment and instead use a rewards system based on the child's ability to function.. If she is too weak physically to participate in sports, this would be an opportunity for the parents to draw a line: Participating in sports might require reaching a certain weight or strength level. The second phase of treatment entails transferring control of eating back to the child. The child must demonstrate good weight gain to begin to assume responsibility for her own eating. The third phase begins when the child can maintain a weight of 95% of her target weight without significant supervision from parents, she can begin individual therapy. This is the time to address issues of childhood and adolescence that may have been relatively untreatable prior to weight gain._

Closing the book, Severus looked at the clock. He had read through the night. It was 6:30 a.m., and he needed to visit the Maudsley Hospital. Grabbing an energy potion, Severus vanished into thin air with a loud pop.

The Muadsley Hospital was located in downtown London. It looked old and worn down. Severus didn't care. The author of the Maudsley Method was the only specialist who spoke reason as far as Severus was concerned, and he needed to pick the man's brain. Walking up the stone pathway, Severus saw another woman walking toward the building with her emaciated son. Severus cringed. The boy was far worse off than Bella. He promised himself he wouldn't let Bella get that bad.

Severus held the door open for the woman and her son. The woman looked as tired as he felt. "Thanks," she said softy, guiding her son in the door. The boy didn't say anything but Severus could tell he wanted to run the other way.

Weaving through the hallway, Severus came to the front desk. Two women sat behind the desk, and no one else was in the waiting room.

"Can I help you sir?" One of the women asked.

Severus walked up to the counter.

"A friend of mine, a doctor, gave me this address and told me to come down here." He began. "My daughter has anorexia and has been in treatment for two months. She's not getting better, in fact, she's getting worse and her mother and I want to try a home-based treatment."

The woman at the front desk nodded. "Is your daughter with you?" She asked, looking around the room.

"No," Severus said. "I don't want to drag her down here unless we're going to follow through with treatment. I just wanted to meet with one of the doctors to discuss the treatment more before bringing Bella in."

The woman nodded. "Let me see what I can do for you," she said looking through a notebook. "It looks like Dr. Grear is in right now and isn't with a patient. Would you like to speak with her?"

Severus nodded. "Please."

"And what's your name sir?"

"Severus Snape."

"Alright Severus, take a seat and I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you," Severus said curtly.

Ten minutes later a tall woman with blond hair walked into the waiting room.

"I take it you are Severus?" She asked, holding a hand out. "I'm Dr. Grear, but you can call me Emma."

Severus stood. "Thank you for meeting last second," Severus said. He finally felt like he was doing something.

"It's no problem," she said, leading him down the hall. "We get a lot of desperate parents in here who are racing against the clock with their kid's health. We're pretty used to last minute appointments."

Emma led Severus into a large office with big windows and plants. He took a seat across from her desk.

"Alright," Emma said, relaxing into her chair. "What can I do for you Mr. Snape?"

"It's my daughter," he began. "She was diagnosed with Anorexia three months ago. Her current treatment is not working and her mother and I are desperate."

"When you say current treatment, what do you mean?" Emma asked, taking out a notepad and pen.

"We brought her to a therapist, doctor, nutritionist, and psychologists. In the past two months she's been with them she's lost 25 more pounds."

"Okay. Let me get some basic information about her: name, age, height, weight, any other conditions?"

"Her name is Bella Rose Snape, she's 16 years old, she's 5'5", and 102 pounds and as far as I know she doesn't have any other conditions."

"And what was her weight before the Anorexia began?"

"Oh, I'll have to double check with her mum but I think somewhere around 135." Severus said.

"Alright, and you said the anorexia began three months ago?"

Severus nodded.

"Any idea about its cause?"

Severus sighed. "Her best friend died in a car accident three months ago," Severus said. It was still hard for Severus to talk about Reece's accident when Bella could have so easily been in the car with him. "She stopped eating the very same day. At first everyone said it was a phase but then she never started again."

Emma nodded, scribbling notes.

"The fact that she's at least 23 pounds underweight and lost such a large amount of weight so fast suggests that her anorexia needs to be controlled starting now," Emma said. Severus sat up, interested. He already liked this doctor infinitely more than the rest of the tosspots he's met. "Now, what I need to know is what you're willing and able to do."

"What do you mean?" Severus asked. Anything, he was willing to do anything.

"The Maudsley Method is very successful because it doesn't allow the anorexia to win," Emma began, setting the pen down. "Parents take complete control over what their child eats, how much they eat, and when they eat. However, anorexia is very stubborn disease. I had a parent in here the other day who sat with her daughter for six hours while she tried to eat a granola bar. But in order to ensure health, that's what has to happen."

Severus nodded. Six hours for a granola bar? He didn't like the sound of that.

"What I need to know are the logistics," Emma said. "I need to know if you will be around to cook for your daughter, I need to know if someone will be around 24/7 for at least the first three months of refeeding to make sure she eats everything and doesn't purge. I need to know if you will have the patience to battle her anorexia and realize it is not your child who is fighting nutrition but her disease."

Severus looked up. "Yes, yes, and yes." He said. "I will do anything, I will do everything."

Emma studied him. Most parents were hesitant at first to try this treatment because from day one they were told by other eating disorder professionals to back out. This man was different. He truly seemed prepared to do anything.

"Sir," Emma began. "I need to tell you that this will be the hardest thing you will ever do. This will be the hardest thing your daughter will ever do. When anorexia is confronted with no choice but full nutrition, things get ugly. Food is thrown, nasty words are exchanged, patience is tested, begging, crying, wishes for death… all of these things occur. It is not pretty. That's why parents send their children away to clinics, so they don't have to witness or experience the agony of their child day in and out when they are forced six times a day to do the one thing that scares them most in the world."

"I am not one of those parents," Severus said heatedly. "I am a parent who will walk through hell with my kid in order to get her out."

Emma picked the pen back up, studying the man. "Bring her in today, whenever you can. I want to meet with her just for a quick consultation. I'll get together all the information you need and schedule a series of appointments for Bella over the next few months."

Severus stood. "Thanks you," he said. "Just, thank you."

Emma nodded. "Severus, you seem like a very dedicated father. I really want this to be the solution."

Severus nodded. "It will be. It has to be." With that, Severus left her office and the building.

Once outside, he disappeared with a loud pop.


	3. Action

Severus apparated into the girls' flat. Soft music played in the background but otherwise it was completely quiet. Severus wondered if Melody had gone against his wishes and sent Bella to school but then he saw Bella's backpack and Melody's purse near the door way.

Walking to Bella's room, he saw her and Melody on the bed. Melody was sitting upright on Bella's bed, an open container of yogurt with a spoon on the night stand. Bella was curled in a ball next to Melody with her head resting in her mother's lap and a heating pad on her stomach. It was Severus's idea for when Bella had a stomach ache from eating. Melody was lightly running her fingers through Bella's hair, humming softly to the music in the back ground.

Severus walked as quietly as he could over to the bed. Hearing his footsteps, Melody opened her eyes. Looking down at Bella, he put a finger over his lips and pointed to the kitchen. Melody nodded. Severus helped rearrange Bella comfortably on her bed and tucked a few stray pieces of hair behind her ear.

Once Bella was settled Severus met Melody in the kitchen. Closing Bella's door, he motioned for Melody to take a seat.

"What did you find out?" Melody asked, taking a sip from her old cold coffee.

Severus took the old coffee from Melody, tapped his wand against the cup, and instantly the coffee was warm again.

"God," Melody said, "We've missed you around here." She gratefully took the cup and looked at Severus expectantly.

"I just got back from the Maudsley Hospital," he said.

"Hospital? You want to have our daughter committed?" Melody said, shocked. "I thought you wanted to try taking care of her at home. You said when you left yesterday that-"

Severus put a hand up. "Mel," he said, putting his hand over hers. "The Muadsley Hospital is a family based treatment. You go there for weigh in and support. I don't want Bella committed."

Relaxing, Melody shrank into her chair.

"I spoke with a doctor," Severus began. He had been going through the situation in his head, looking for another way but he didn't see one. "Mel, I have to be honest. I don't think Bella can get well here, in this flat, living with you."

Melody seemed to be hanging on his every word, and knew he wasn't judging her mothering skills so she let him continue.

"The doctor said Bella needs supervision 24/7 for the first 3 months of treatment at least," He continued. "She said the parents cook the food, sit with the kids for as long as it takes to make sure they eat the food, and then supervise them afterward to make sure they don't do anything to get rid of the food."

Melody nodded, listening intently.

"Now, there's only one of you here." He said, "I can't quit. But, there are hundreds of people at Hogwarts to look after Bella while I'm teaching. There are house elves who cook, I can sit with Bella for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I would only be working for snacks. She could do home school and work in the back of my classroom. Poppy is there to monitor her weight. It makes sense. I think it's the only way for this to work."

He knew it was the only way it was going to work. Melody couldn't quit working because Bella would need a place to live once she got well again.

"Wait a minute," Melody said, finally sensing Severus was done. "You're suggesting Bella, who is a Muggle, moves to Hogwarts for three months-"

"At least three months," He interrupted.

"So the house elves could cook for her, watch her when you're not around, and have her continue school there?"

Severus nodded. "It's the only solution I see."

Melody sighed, looking him square in the eyes. "Me too," she whispered.

Severus let go of the breath he didn't know he was holding. He knew Melody would be practical. This was their daughter's life they were talking about but he thought it would take more to warm her up to the idea of Bella moving to Hogwarts. Bella had stayed at the castle for Christmas Break and a week or two over summer but never for any extended period of time. They weren't sure it was good for her. There were so many ways she could get hurt and have no way to protect herself but this was their last hope.

"The doctor wants me to bring Bella in today so she can run a few tests and talk to her about how this works," Severus said.

"I'm coming," Melody said. "I'll clear my afternoon schedule." She said, standing up and reaching for the phone. Before she was fully standing, Severus enveloped her in a hug. Melody melted into his arms.

"I promise you," he said, pulling away so he could look her in the eyes. "We will make her better."

A tear rolled down Melody's cheek. Just then, Bella entered the kitchen.

"Mom?" She asked, leaning heavily on the door frame for support. "Dad? What's going on? Why's mom crying?"

Melody looked to Severus, asking him to talk to her while she made a few calls.

"Why don't we go talk in the living room sweetie?" Severus said, walking over to where his daughter stood and holding an arm out for support. Too weak and tired to protest, Bella latched onto his arm and walked over to the couch.

"What are you doing here dad?" She asked, leaning her bony body into his warm body. Severus put an arm around his daughter, wanting to protect her from the pain he knew she was about to endure. The pain he was going to make her endure.

"Honey," he began, his voice soft and gentle. "Your mother and I have been talking."

Bella's blue eyes hung on every word he said.

"We're really worried about you," he continued, forcing Bella to look in his eyes when she looked away. "We don't think you're getting better so this morning I went to a special hospital to learn more about another kind of treatment."

Bella's heart started racing. Hospital? A special hospital? What did that mean?

"Are you going to make me stay in hospital?" She asked, her voice filled with fear as her eyes began watering.

"No sweetie," Severus said, pulling her into a hug. "No baby. We're not committing you to the hospital. We are going downtown to visit one today so you can learn more about how mum and I are going to help you through this."

Bella nodded in her father's chest. She didn't want to be stuck in the hospital. They scared her with all the needles and equipment. She wanted to be with her mum and dad.

Melody walked into the living room and nodded her head. Severus rubbed Bella's arms and sat her up.

"Why don't we get you a jacket and we can head out?" He asked. Bella nodded. Her mum returned with Bella's favorite green pea coat and as a family they left the apartment.

Since Bella and Melody were with him, Severus couldn't apparate to the hospital. Instead, they had a long subway ride. While on the subway, Bella remained quiet. Severus could see the fear in her eyes. Part of him wondered if she didn't trust him and thought they really were going to leave her in the hospital. Melody rested her head against Severus's shoulder.

He was supposed to be teaching Advanced Potions right now. He wished life was normal again, for him and his girls. He had the feeling that nothing would be normal again.

Severus remembered the day Melody told him she was pregnant. He was stunned. It was the last thing he was expecting. They were out to eat, just like they always were, and she said he was going to be a father. His first instinct was to run. He knew nothing about fathering a child. He was terrified of turning out like his father: abusive and absent.

Looking into Melody's eyes, across the table, something clicked in Severus. He knew he would be different. He knew this would be the greatest joy of his life. And when Bella was born eight months later, Severus knew he lived his whole life waiting to feel so complete, so whole. Bella was his purpose in life; loving her, teaching her, protecting her

How had he fallen so short in the past few months? They had always been a close family. No, he and Melody were not married but it didn't matter. He loved Mel in a way he never loved another woman and he loved Bella more than anything imaginable. They took trips together, spent lazy weekends together. They had a real relationship. He had done well as a father; it was his one true accomplishment in life. And now this… he had let Bella down. He should have stepped in when things started getting bad. He should have found a way to make things better.

"Sev," he felt a hand on his arm, looking over it was Melody. "This is our stop."

Severus looked beside him and saw Bella standing, hugging herself tightly. He stood and wrapped a protective arm around her. She looked so young and scared.

"Everything will be alright sweetheart," he said, leading her off the train. Silently they walked up the tube's stairs and a few blocks east. The hospital came into view. Seeing it, Bella stopped, paralyzed from the fear her parents would leave her there. Tears pooled in her eyes and she rested her body against a building.

"I can't do this daddy," she said so quietly he had to lean in to hear here. Melody came to Bella's other side and rubbed her arm.

"Sure you can," he said. "I'll help you to."

Bella looked into his eyes. He could tell she was wordlessly begging him not to make her go.

"Bella," he said. "I know you're scared but you don't need to be. I promise you this is just a meeting. You are going to walk in and out of this hospital with us."

Bella looked at her dad. He had never once lied to her, as far as she knew. She knew he didn't want to hospitalize her but she also knew she wasn't getting any better. The hospital looked so formidable.

Searching her dad's eyes for any trace of a lie, she found none. Taking a deep breath, she took a step forward and they continued toward the hospital. Severus held the door open for the girls.

Ten minutes later Bella found herself wearing a hospital gown sitting on a soft doctor's bed. She was alone in the room. Surprisingly, she was very calm. She knew that she was underweight. She even knew she was sick. She knew she needed help but she didn't know how to make the pain disappear. Only starving worked. She was terrified to stop starving because the pain of losing Reece would hit ten fold. She didn't think she could handle it; in fact, she knew she couldn't handle it. She would break. She was already so broken.

"Bella," Dr. Grear said, interrupting Bella's thoughts. Emma closed the door behind her and sat next to Bella on the bed. Bella's eyes never connected with Emma's. She was too afraid of what would happen next. She had been weighed, her blood had been taken, and Emma had taken her mum and dad into a room to privately talk.

Emma sighed as she leaned against the wall beside Bella, letting her blonde hair fall freely around her face.

"Bella," she began, looking the anxious teen over. "Your weight is low, dangerously low. I'm worried that if things don't start improving now that you will end up in hospital with a tube up your nose."

Bella hugged her knees to her chest.

"You can get better," Emma continued. "Starting now. Starting today. All you have to do is trust your parents."

Bella suddenly looked up into Emma's eyes.

"I do trust my parents," Bella whispered.

Emma smiled softly, "I can tell, sweetie. But this is going to be hard. They are going make you do things you don't want to do, things that scare you. But it's all to make you better. They love you so much sweetie. Your dad nearly broke my door down for you begging for help. There's nothing they wouldn't do for you. And I just want to tell you now- you will get better. You have no choice."

Bella closed her eyes.

"You make it sound easy," she said, also leaning her head against the wall.

Emma shook her head. "Nothing about this will be easy," she said. "But the only thing that matters is that you do it. That you eat, for your parents at first and then for yourself."

Bella opened her eyes.

"So how does this work?" She asked, wondering what the arrangement was going to be.

"How about you get dressed and then your mum, dad, and I can explain that to you?"

A few minutes later Bella found herself sitting in between her parents in Emma's office. Bella was too tired to process everything that was going on. She was too tired to tell her parents how sorry she was that she was putting them through this. She was too tired to fight.

"Alright," Emma began, looking through a folder. "The whole point of Maudlesy is to put control back into the parents' hands." She said, looking to Severus. "Your job, Severus and Melody, is to plan Bella's menu, cook the food, supervise her during and after meals, and to have a support system for yourself."

Bella followed the conversation intently. "Bella," Emma said, looking toward her "Your job is simple: eat and digest. You seem cooperative right now. I don't want it to surprise any of you that it will not stay that way, even if you want to get better. It is normal to go through mood swings; I would be concerned if you didn't."

Bella looked Emma over for a second before nodded. She liked Emma. She had been so honest. People were never usually so honest. This whole approach was raw. They said up front that is was going to suck and be hard but worth it. Something about it made Bella nod her head in agreement before she was even aware of it.

"Alright," Emma said, standing up and handing a book to Severus called "Help your teenager beat an eating disorder. "Read this. Learn it. Live it. Come back in two weeks and we'll see how the weight gain is coming. If you have any questions, any at all, call me."

"Thank you," Bella heard her father say on the way out the door. And it wasn't until she heard the emotion in his voice that she realized just how scared her parents were, just how desperate for an answer they had become.


	4. Changes

Bella sat on her bed, staring out the window. She was supposed to be packing her things but fear hit her like a ton of bricks. She was leaving her school, her home… her mom. She had never been away from her mom for more than two weeks. Her mom was her best friend in the world. How could she agree to do this?

"Sweetie, do you need some help?" Mel asked, peering inside.

"Mom, I changed my mind. I don't want to do this. I don't want to move," Bella said, hugging her mom tightly.

Mel rubbed a comforting hand up and down Bella's arm.

"Honey, I know change can be scary but this has to happen. Your dad is at Hogwarts as we speak getting a room ready for you."

"Why are you so okay with him taking me? You've never allowed me to go to Hogwarts when school was in session. You said it could be dangerous. Don't you care?" Bella accused, looking into her mother's eyes.

"Of course I care sweetie. But it would be far more dangerous to leave you here with me when I can't give you the support you need. It's not permanent. It's temporary. I will come and visit during the weekends, and the time will pass before you know it. Then you can come back home and go to school and everything will go back to normal."

Bella sat on her bed, looking at the empty suitcases on her floor.

"Your father will be here in a few minutes to collect you, so let's get you packed okay?"

Bella nodded and watched as her mum dug through her closet and neatly folded her favorite sweaters and pants.

"Mom," Bella whispered, her voice barely audible. "What if I can't get better?"

Mel stopped packing and joined her daughter on her bed.

"I don't want you to think like that," Mel instructed, wrapping an arm around Bella. "I want you to remain positive. This will be hard but it's not impossible. I believe with everything in me that you will be happy and healthy again, and not many years down the road either. Soon. I believe we'll get you there soon."

Bella nodded and Mel got up to continue packing. Within a few minutes, everything Bella needed was in two suitcases resting near their fireplace.

Bella was in the bathroom when she heard the loud pop that indicated her father had returned. Her heart pounded in her chest. This was it. She was moving… moving so she could get better. All of the sudden she had terrible images playing in her mind; tubes shoved up her nose, needles in her arm, towering piles of ice cream and sweets.

"Is she ready?" Bella heard her father ask through the door.

"Yes, she's hiding in the bathroom right now. She had a meltdown while you were gone. I think it's all just hit her that this is really happening."

Bella heard a soft knock. "Bella, sweetie, can you please come out?"

Bella sat down in the corner quietly. She could hear Severus sigh. She knew the bathroom offered no protection from her father. She watched as the door handle lifted up despite the fact it was locked. She watched the door swing open a few inches, and then fully as her father pushed it all the way open.

Her father walked in and crouched down in front of her. Bella looked at him with fearful eyes.

"I don't want to do this daddy, please don't make me do this…" Bella sniffled, tears flowing freely from her eyes.

Severus placed an arm on her leg.

"Bella, I know you're scared. But I promise you that you don't need to be. You're coming to live with me at Hogwarts. You will be perfectly safe with me. I've never let anything bad happen to you, have I?"

Bella shook her head, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"I know that you're scared to get better but it has to happen. What kind of parents would we be if we let you die because we didn't want you to face you fear? We wouldn't deserve you if we were those kinds of parents. But I will be there for you every step of the way. Your mom will see you all of the time, and before you know it you'll be back at home."

Bella let her father embrace her. She closed her eyes and heard him mumble something. With heavy eyes, she felt her father lift her, a set of lips find her forehead, and then nothing.

Bella woke in stages. The first thing she noticed was how warm she was; in the past three months, no matter what she's done she's always been cold. But now, floating in this soft cloud, she was perfectly warm from the tips of her fingers to the tips of her toes.

She sat up in bed and her heart lifted miles from the ground; her father had made the most beautiful room a 16 year old girl could ever ask for. It was spacious. She sat in the queen sized, four poster bed on one end of the room. The bed had translucent drapes and large fluffy white comforters. The floor was stone and the walls were painted lilac. On three walls, windows the size of cars opened up to the most magnificent sight: from her room, Bella could see the forest, lake, and Quidditch pitch from which behind loomed mountains and waterfalls. It was magical.

Bella laughed to herself. It was magic, literally. Bella got out of bed and wandered to the window. Her father put plush cushions on the sill so she could sit and read or just stargaze. She heard her bedroom door open, and watched her father enter.

"Good evening sweetie," he said, walking over to sit beside her on the window sill.

"How did you know I was awake?" Bella asked, as she watched a group of friends decked out in Quidditch gear make its way down to the field.

"Let's just say it's a father's intuition," Severus said, watching his daughter. Actually, a charm alerted him whenever she woke incase she did it to throw up or exercise. "Do you like your room?"

"Like?" Bella laughed. "I love it. It's the most perfect and peaceful room."

Bella stood from the window sill and studied the pictures hanging on her wall; she had taken all of them herself. They looked magnificent blown up.

"Your mother helped me choose the photos," Severus said.

"They're perfect." And they were; one photo was taken only a year ago on a trip she took with her mother to Paris. The photo was black and white, taken from the ground up as they posed in front of the Eiffel Tower. Bella studied the smile on her face in the picture and wondered if she'd ever be that happy again. The next photo she took two years ago on a vacation to Bali. Although the photo didn't show it, her father had been sitting right next to her as they watched the sun set over the ocean. In the last picture, bright colors juxtaposed from a Turkish bizarre Bella had been to on a class field trip of Eastern Europe.

"We got you some new winter clothes because it gets very chilly in Northern Scotland. They are all in your armoire," he said, pointing to the tall dresser that stood beside the photograph from France. "We also raided a bookstore so you have lots of new books on the shelf. All of your art supplies are in the living room and I cleared out a spot beside the window for you to work. I thought it would be the perfect place. We brought your French work for you to continue practicing because we know you want to study abroad next year."

"Thanks dad," Bella said, genuinely happy. "You know you didn't have to do all of this. I could have just slept on the couch or something."

"Don't be silly. I want you to feel comfortable here."

"Well, I love it." Bella looked around and noticed some finer details of her room; her father hung dragonfly lights around all three windows. He put a soft purple rug on the floor and painted flowers on the armoire. He framed pictures of Reece and her other friends and put them on her desk. A robe and scarf hung on the wall behind the door. He clearly went through a lot of trouble to make this feel like home.

"So what do you think about a short walk around the castle and grounds before we try dinner?" Severus asked, watching his daughter examine a picture of Reece. Today was the first day in three months that she hadn't visited him.

At the mere mention of dinner, her heart began to hammer in her chest. She knew it was unavoidable. They didn't bring her hear for fun; she knew she would have to eat but she just didn't know if she could.

She felt a firm hand on her shoulder grounding her in the present.

"Sweetie, take a deep breath," her father instructed, and she obeyed. "One thing we're going to work on is managing your anxiety. I know eating is going to be hard for you but now is not the time to worry about it. When you walk out that door, we're going to grab two hot teas and take a walk. You don't need to worry about eating yet, okay. I'll let you know when it's coming and we'll get through that together when the time comes, okay?"

Bella nodded.

"I'm going to go make some tea. I'd like it if you could put on some warmer clothes for our walk. The sun is almost down and it really is quite cold outside."

Bella watched her father leave and could hear him moving about the kitchen. Bella walked to her dresser and opened it; immediately, her jaw dropped. He hadn't been kidding when he said they stocked it with new clothes. Tee shirts, sweaters, jackets, jeans, skirts, leggings, boots, and scarves filled her closet. She went right for a beautiful brown wool skirt with intricate pink flowers stitched on it but her heart dropped when she read the label: Size 8. She wore Size 2. After examining her new clothes, she realized three quarters of them were all Size 8 or Medium. Her parents bought her new clothes for when she was healthy again. The other quarter of her new clothes were between Size 2 and 6 or Extra Small or Small for her journey to health. She held up a pair of Size 8 corduroys and couldn't believe her parents wanted her to be that big.

Sighing, she grabbed a pair of Size 2 leggings and jeans as well as two shirts and piled them on. With her jacket buttoned up, a hat and gloves on and a scarf wrapped around her neck she was ready to go. She walked outside her bedroom and into her father's apartment. It was exactly as she remembered it; bay windows comprised the entire living room wall. They were on the very top floor of the turret so they had an excellent view. The kitchen was wide and spacious and a long hallway led to the bathrooms and her father's bedroom. A bookshelf stretched the length of the hallway and was stuffed full of books. Only one thing was out of place: the chocolate lab that lay snoozing by the roaring fireplace.

"Oh my gosh!" Bella squealed, running to the dog. "I can't believe you did this!"

Severus watched with a light heart as Brownie, the dog, sat up to inspect Bella. He immediately rested his paw on her hand as she pet him.

"That is Brownie. I know you've always wanted a dog, and I thought now would be the perfect time. From what I've surmised, his favorite thing to do is sleep."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Bella said, hugging her dad. She dreamt of having a dog of her very own since she was a little girl.

"You're welcome," Severus said, handing his daughter a cup of steaming hot tea. "Shall we?"

Bella eyed the tea warily as Severus put a leash on Brownie.

"Dad?" she asked, her voice meek. He already knew what she was going to ask.

"What I may or may not have put in the tea is of no concern to you," he said gently, looking into her eyes. "Your only concern is finishing that by the time we get back to the apartment, alright?"

Bella studied him for a quick second before nodding. The truth be told, Severus did spike it with a very powerful Nourishing Potion that contained a full day's worth of calories. However, it would also take the edge off any stomach ache she would get from eating dinner this evening.

"Do you want to hold Brownie?" he asked, proffering her the leash. She nodded, and with great big smiles they headed out the door. Bella was shocked by the chill in the air. Shivering, she set her tea down on the rail of their balcony and tightened her scarf.

"Do you need another jacket?" her father asked, already opening the door.

"No, I'm fine. It just surprised me is all."

Severus nodded and took a pointed sip of his tea. Bella rolled her eyes and took hold of her tea. She sniffed it suspiciously but all she could deduce was mint. She took a small sip and felt her insides warm tremendously. She was sure her father put something in the tea. After all, he was the best positions master in all of Europe. But what could she do? Besides, the warmth spreading from her stomach to her toes felt blissful.

"Shall we?" Severus asked, holding the door to the inside of the castle open. Bella and Brownie took a few steps inside and noticed how different the atmosphere was. Candles provided the only light and voices echoed off the stone walls. Bella's stomach flipped and she sank to the stone bench when she overheard two students talking on the floor below.

"What's the matter sweetie?" Severus asked, sitting beside her.

"What's everyone going to think?" she cried, clearly distressed.

"What do you mean?" Severus asked.

"All of the students. What are they going to think when they see me but discover I'm not in any of their houses or classes. They're going to know something's wrong with me!"

"First off, there is nothing wrong with you. You're sick. Everyone gets sick. That's nothing to feel ashamed of or embarrassed about. Second, your uncle Albus addressed the school this morning so they know you're here and they know you're a Muggle."

"What?" Bella asked, incredulous. "Why would he do that?"

Severus rubbed her arm reassuringly, once again pausing to take a dramatic sip of his tea. Bella grumbled and took another sip.

"Your uncle Albus had no choice but to announce your arrival. Bella, this has never been done before and for a very good reason. This can be a dangerous place for you. Everyone here is learning magic and not everyone has learned to control it. Beyond that, there are creatures here and circumstances where, as a Muggle, you could find yourself in grave danger. Your uncle had to explain once more how important it is that students only perform magic inside classrooms under supervision and also to keep an eye out for you. If a troll finds its way into the castle again and you're wandering the hallways, I want everyone looking for you. How on earth would you defend yourself against a troll?"

Bella looked down.

"I just don't want people to know about… about my… condition," she said, her cheeks flushing.

"Bella, please look at me," Severus said gently. "No one is going to give you a hard time, I can guarantee that. After all, I am the most feared teacher in this castle. As far as people knowing, well, sweetie, you're extremely underweight. People may figure it out. But they will only think of it in terms of how brave and strong you are. There are some truly wonderful people in this castle and if you just give them a chance you'll see that them knowing won't be the worst thing that can happen, okay?"

Tears welled in Bella's eyes but she nodded anyway.

"Can I ask you one more question?" she asked, sniffling. The sight tore at his heart. However, his choice to get Brownie was vindicated when he jumped on Bella's lap and licked away her tears. She laughed. A real, true laugh. He hadn't heard that in months.

"Ask away."

"What happens next?"

Severus sighed. He wasn't entirely sure of that himself.

"Well, your health is going to be the number one priority around her for a while. So what that means is that you will be consuming six meals a day with me and take it easy until you're stable. I expect during that time that you will remain in the apartment relaxing and reading or painting. I've arranged a schedule so that you will always have company in one form or another. Once you're out of the danger zone, you will accompany me to class and study in the back. You will make friends, attend events, and become a bigger part of the castle."

"What do you mean when you say 'the danger zone?'" Bella asked.

"Sweetie, when Dr. Emma met with your mother and I she reviewed you vitals. You are severely ill sweetheart. If things were to keep moving in the same direction, she gave you about a month to live. My beautiful, brainy daughter dead at sixteen. It's every parent's worst nightmare. She explained that for a person of your age, height, and build, 115 pounds is the lowest acceptable weight. Anything below that is 'the danger zone' where you're more susceptible to cardiac arrest, feinting spells, and other medical complications. Of course that's just generalized based off your old doctors records. Poppy will monitor your vitals and let us know once your body begins to stabilize but until then you're taking it easy."

"115 pounds as the lowest acceptable weight?" Bella repeated, flummoxed. "But I'm 100 pounds now. It could take weeks to get there. I'm just supposed to read and paint for weeks?"

Severus put his hand against Bella's cheek, "That's what I meant when I said your health will take number one priority. I don't expect you to be happy with much of your treatment plan but it is the plan nevertheless."

"You gave me fat pants," Bella blurted, her face once again flushing.

"Excuse me?" Severus asked, a smile lining his face. Nothing about the situation was funny but he never thought he would hear those words escape his daughter's lips.

"I looked in my closet. You gave me huge pants. I just don't understand why you want me to be so big. I mean, where do these numbers come from? Have either of you considered that I'm just petite?"

Severus sipped at his tea, indicating for Bella to do the same. Okay, he may have also put a mild Calming Draught in it as well.

"Honey, remember what we talked about: stay in the present. You're getting all worked up over a pair of pants your mother and I don't expect you to wear for a while. There's nothing to worry about at the present. Let's take a walk, enjoy our tea, and get to know Brownie. Does that sound like something you're up for?"

Bella nodded, and allowed her father to pull her to her feat.

"I know you put something in the tea," she whispered, letting Brownie pull her along the hallway.

"And do you worry that it's something malicious? That I'm going to do something to harm you?" Severus asked, watching his daughter carefully. He was genuinely interested in her response. Did she trust him with something as delicate and important as fighting her eating disorder? He knew it acted as a shield from her grief, and he knew she felt like she needed it. Above all, though, she needed to trust her father to see her through.

Bella sighed, "Of course not dad. I know you would never let anyone hurt me."

"Good," he said, slinging an arm around her shoulders as they walked down the spiral hallway. This time, Severus didn't need to remind Bella to drink her tea; she took a swig for herself.

"Whatever you put in this makes me feel really warm," she said softly. "It feels really nice."

"I'm glad sweetie."

Bella nodded as they walked in silence down the twisting hallway until they came to a large open door. Voice grew louder as they walked through the door.

"So, we just walked down the North Tower. This hall leads directly to the Main Hall where everyone eats and where we have meetings." Severus steered her down the hallway where students hung out in corners and on benches. Bella looked at the ground self consciously until she realized that no one was ogling at her. With a sigh of relief, she walked with her father past the empty dining hall.

"Whoa," she said, doubling back as Brownie pulled on the leash. "I forgot how beautiful that was." She was looking at the ceiling of the dining hall, which was a perfect mirror of the clear night sky.

"There are many more secrets in Hogwarts that you will uncover during your time here," Severus said, placing an arm on her back and guiding her out the main entrance. "These doors close at 10p.m., which is when we expect each student to return to his or her house. As for you, well, I don't want you out past 8p.m. unless otherwise stated."

Bella nodded. She couldn't imagine why she would be outside the castle at 8p.m. In reality, the forest always scared her. In her defense, it was called the Forbidden Forest and her father reminded her of that fact multiple times during her previous visits.

"If you ever get lost when you're in the castle, all you have to do is say Winky."

Bella laughed. "Winky?"

Instantly, out of thin air, a green short creature appeared wearing tattered curtains.

"Miss Snape has called Winky. What can Is do for yous?"

Brownie and Bella took a step back, appalled and frightened of this creature who knew her name. Brownie lunged at Winky, who shrieked and took a few steps back.

"No Brownie," Severus said calmly, making the dog sit.

"Don't be afraid," Severus said to both Winky and Bella. "Bella, this is Winky, a House Elf of Hogwarts. She will be looking after you while you're here. If you ever need help or are lost, all you have to do is say her name and she will come. Winky, this is Bella. Whatever she needs is your top priority, is that clear?"

Winky nodded while glaring at Brownie, who just looked at her curiously.

"Headmaster Albus has already explained to Is about Miss Snape," Winky said, bowing deeply.

"Thank you Winky, that is all for now."

With a loud pop, Winky disappeared.

"What just happened?" Bella asked, shaking her head.

"I know it's a lot to take in but Winky will prove to be quite useful," Severus said. "So how's your tea?"

Bella's smile faltered as the pair walked down the front stairs. She could see Hagrid's hut and the group of Quidditch players in the sky.

"It's really good dad, really, and I drank as much as I could but it's too much. My stomach feels really tight."

Severus stopped walking and sat down on the staircase. Bella did the same, looking at him curiously. He unsnapped Brownie's leash and transformed a rock into a tennis ball. Brownie whined with excitement and chased the ball down the stairs and out of sight.

"Baby," Severus began, taking Bella's hands in his own. "I understand that your stomach is not used to eating and drinking normal amounts of food and liquids, however, your condition will continue to deteriorate if I allow that to dictate how much you consume. So, I must insist that you finish your tea."

Bella looked into her father's eyes for a moment, confused.

"I just told you that my stomach hurts," she said, trying to pull her hands free; however, it was useless. She was no match against her father's grip.

"And I believe you," he said, squeezing her hands. "But, you still need to drink it. So, we can either do that back in the apartment or we can do it while we finish our promenade through the grounds."

Bella watched as Brownie bound back up the stairs, a wild, joyful look in his eyes.

"But-" she began, but was silenced by her father.

"Bella, I would prefer to go over the rules of meal times in our apartment where it's warm and comfortable. I am telling you, as your father, that you will consume that tea. It's not too much. I know it will make you uncomfortable for the time being, and while I don't like that idea what I hate even more is allowing you to remain ill. So, as my daughter who knows I'm looking out for her, I'm going to request that you please consume your tea."

No impatience, anger, or frustration entered her father's voice; on the contrary, it was filled with tenderness, love, and patience. However, in the recesses of his statement was a fact: one way or another, she would drink the tea. Bella knew better than to mess with her father when it came to stuff like this. One time, Bella tricked her mother into missing a doctors appointment to get vaccinated but once her father got wind of it he marched her into the doctors the same evening after convincing him to stay open late and she got all three shots anyway. She cried, screamed, begged and hollered but she learned that when it came to her health, her father was an unmovable force.

Bella sighed and took a sip of tea. Severus once again pulled her to her feet and Brownie trotted beside them happily. They walked in silence by Hagrid's house, down by the green houses, and through the Quidditch field. Every time Bella took a sip of her tea, her father would squeeze her hand comfortingly.

By the time they made their way back up to the castle, Bella had tears in her eyes. Her stomach ached and she felt guilty. How could she allow all those calories inside her body? How could she be so weak after all her hard work? With one sip to go, Severus brought the cup to her mouth and she opened wide, a tear leaking out the corner of her eye.

She laid down on the couch, and Severus placed a heating pad on her stomach.

"I'm so proud of you sweetie," he said, kissing her forehead. Brownie jumped up on the couch and Bella clung to his fur as she fell asleep. This was going to be much harder than she thought.


	5. Struggle

"Bella, sweetie."

She could feel something moving beside her; something soft and furry. She could smell something cooking. She could hear her father's voice.

"Honey, it's time to wake up."

Bella opened her eyes. She was on the couch next to Brownie. Her father was leaning over her, a warm smile on his face.

"Hello there sleepy head," he said, sitting down on the couch beside Brownie who took no notice.

"Hi dad," Bella said quietly. She sat up testing out her stomach only to discover it no longer ached; it simply felt warm.

"How're you feeling?"

"Much better, actually. How long did I sleep?"

"About two hours," Severus said, smoothing out Bella's hair.

"Wow, I was tired."

"Yes you were," her father said as he held out his hand. In it was a small vial full of a thick, honey colored liquid.

"What's this?" Bella asked, taking the vial.

"Two things: one component is a stomach soother and the other a relaxant."

"Um…" Bella said, sitting up further on the couch and looking at the kitchen. On the bar counter were two plates of food, each full.

"Sweetie, now is the time to go over the rules and expectations for meal time. I knew this would cause you anxiety and discomfort, so I thought this potion would make it easier for you to deal with."

Without further explanation, Bella downed the vial. Her stomach twisted in knots and her palms sweated. This is what it all came down to; no matter how she tossed the dice, there was no way to avoid this.

"First, let me preface this by saying I love you more than anything in this world. As a father, it is natural to shield your child from pain: especially a sweet, sensitive daughter like you. However, my love for you also requires me to do the right thing for you, and sometimes the right thing hurts. This is one of those times. I need you to understand that no matter what happens, I'm going to press forward with your treatment. It's the only way out of this hell."

Bella hung on his every word; her heart raced and her head swam.

"Second, it's okay to be scared. It's okay to hurt; pain is your body's way of telling you something isn't right, and right now your weight isn't right. Together, bite by bite we will fight through the anxiety and pain until it's natural to eat healthy food and remain at a healthy weight, alright?"

Bella nodded wordlessly.

"So here is how this is going to work: you are going to eat three solid meals a day. I will decide what those meals are. You will eat everything on your plate. Nothing else will happen until you eat everything on your plate. You may not get up, you may not read, you may do nothing until your plate it cleared. This will apply to breakfast, lunch, dinner, and your three snacks a day, which will also be selected by me. You will always eat in that same spot. You may not use a napkin, wear long sleeve shirts, or anything with pockets. Your hair must be tied back. You will be supervised directly during all meals. If you ruin any food, it will be replaced. If you skip breakfast, I will simply add lunch to the pile of food to be consumed. If you skip two meals or snacks in a row, Poppy will tube feed you. If you need to use the restroom, you will ask first; someone will stand outside the open door and you will talk to them the entire time. These rules will be in effect until your goal weight has been maintained for two months. After those two months, we will reassess. Do you understand?"

Bella couldn't speak. She couldn't move. Her heart felt like it would race out of her chest. Before she even knew what was happening, a sob escaped her. She had never sobbed like this before; it was desperate and pitiful.

"Shhhhhhh," Severus said, rocking her back and forth. Bella cried for ten minutes before calming down. The entire time she was embraced in her father's strong arms.

"Daddy, I don't want to be here anymore. I want to go back to mommy! You didn't even let me say goodbye! You didn't let me explain to Reece why I couldn't visit anymore! Why are you doing this to me?"

Severus rocked Bella back and forth, back and forth stroking her hair and rubbing her back; he could feel her spine through her sweaters.

"Everything will be okay baby doll. Just let it out."

Bella tried to pull away from her father but he was too strong.

"I already had the tea daddy! That was too much but I did it for you! How can you ask me to eat all that?"

Severus let her talk herself out while simply hugging and rocking her. When she calmed down a bit, Severus pulled her away and looked into her Aegean blue eyes. Her pupils were dilated so he knew the relaxant was taking affect.

He scooped her up and walked her over to the bar. She stayed in the chair willingly, and he took that as a good sign. He sat beside her in front of the second plate.

"Bella, pick up the fork."

Bella looked at him desperately. He rubbed her back and nodded encouragingly. Tears rolled down her face as she picked up the fork.

"Take a bite," Severus said, still watching.

Bella looked at him again, and this time he picked up his own fork and stabbed a piece of chicken from the pasta chicken casserole. While Bella watched, he plopped the chicken into his mouth and chewed before swallowing.

Bella hesitantly moved the fork toward her plate, looking at Severus every few seconds; he nodded supportively. She speared a small piece of chicken and picked it up from her plate. Severus dropped his fork and returned his hand to her back. This was it; she had to do it. Already, they had made it farther than before when she sat down, stayed down, and picked up her fork.

Bella breathed heavily as she looked at the chicken.

"I'm right here sweetie," Severus said, watching his daughter in a life and death struggle with her dinner plate. He wasn't sure if Bella heard him; he wasn't sure where Bella was. He would give anything to know what was going on in her head, to be able to fight this battle for her.

"You're doing so great," he said, still rubbing circles on her back.

Bella suddenly dropped her fork and stood up.

"I can't do this," she said, backing away from her plate. Severus sighed and stood up.

"You can and you will," he said softly. "Please sit back down. I understand you're scared but I won't let anything happen to you."

"You can't protect me from everything daddy!" Bella cried. "It's in my head. You can't fix the thoughts in my head that tell me I'm a terrible person for eating, that everyone I love will hate me if I eat."

Severus wrapped his arms around his little girl wishing so much he could have a minute alone with those thoughts that pollute her brilliant mind.

"Bella, they will go away. Not right away but with health they will subside. I promise you."

Bella shook her head; "I won't eat this! You can't make me."

"Bella, either you eat this willingly or Poppy will come and insert a feeding tube and IV. I'm leaving that decision up to you."

"I don't believe you!' Bella said, backing away behind the couch.

Severus sighed. A silver message flew out from his wand tip and out their door. A few short seconds later, Poppy emerged from their fireplace with her medical bag.

Bella tried to run to her bedroom but found the door suddenly locked. Poppy stood quietly in the corner while Severus walked slowly toward his distraught daughter. He put one arm on either side of Bella, who looked at him with tears cascading down her cheeks.

"Sweetie, I'm going to give you to the count of three to sit back down and take a bite or else Poppy will have my full permission to do anything necessary to feed you this evening," Severus said, compassion laced in every word. "One…"

Bella shrieked but ducked beneath his arms and sat down at the bar counter.

"Two…"

She hastily picked up her fork, the chicken still on it and steaming hot.

"Three…"

She shoved the piece of chicken in her mouth, sobbing.

Severus looked at Poppy, who left silently.

"I hate you!" Bella screamed. She had never said anything like that to either of her parents. She couldn't believe it came out of her mouth but it was like she temporarily lost control. She was sobbing and eating and sobbing and eating. Severus reached out a hand to comfort her but Bella shied away.

"Don't you dare touch me!" she yelled, and her father took his hand back.

Bella made it through half of her plate before throwing her fork down.

"I'm going to vomit if you make me eat more than this," she huffed, not looking at her father.

"I'm confident you won't. I know you don't feel well, and I can give you something a bit stronger for your stomach if you'd like but you're going to finish your meal. If you refuse, I will call Poppy back."

"I don't want anything from you," Bella hissed, but she picked up her fork and ate the rest of her meal. When she was done, she stood. Her stomach was distended and stretched. She could see beneath her shirt that her stomach was hard. She swallowed heavily and felt that tickle at the back of your throat right before you become ill.

"It's best if you lay down and I want you in my sight so get comfortable on the couch," Severus said, reaching out tentatively. Bella was so tired and uncomfortable that she didn't shake off her father's touch. Breathing a sigh of relief, he laid Bella down on the couch beside Brownie. Her eyes were closed tight and Severus knew she was in considerable pain; he had been anticipating that but it didn't make facing it any easier for him to deal with.

Severus grabbed the heating pad, warmed it magically, and slipped it beneath Bella's top shirt. As he pulled his hand away, Bella's small fingers grasped his in a death hold.

"Don't leave me," she whispered, her eyes as wide as sauces. Severus' voice caught in his throat.

"I won't baby," he promised, brushing her long hair out of her eyes. "I'll be right here."

Bella nodded and let a few tears roll down her cheek before Brownie licked them away.

"My stomach really hurts daddy," she whispered sadly, her blue eyes searching his dark eyes for help.

"I know that sweetie. It will pass, I promise. Would you like me to rub your belly?"

Bella nodded.

Severus gently rubbed her stomach and listened to her breathing even out. Her stomach was bloated and distended and he winced for her. He could tell just from looking at it how much it hurt. Just as he was about to withdraw his hand, Bella whispered, "I don't hate you daddy, I love you very much."

Severus leaned down so he was whispering in her ear.

"I know that sweetie. I love you too, more than you know. Now go to sleep. Brownie and I will be right here if you need either one of us."

Bella nodded and grabbed one of Brownie's paws, holding it as she drifted off into oblivion.


	6. Introductions

Bella poked at her plate, moving around the last piece of asparagus. She had been at her father's for two weeks, and she had only gained a measly five pounds. From the way things were progressing, Bella was sure she'd never reach her minimum acceptable weight let alone her goal weight.

"What did that asparagus do to you?" Her father's voiced joked quietly from beside her. Bella rested her head on her hand and looked at her dad beseechingly.

Her father had been reading her favorite novel, The Lord of the Rings, aloud when he noticed she had stopped eating. Setting the book down, he waited for her response.

"Dad," Bella began, wondering how to broach the subject. Severus waited patiently. He was amazed by the progress she had made thus far; while her weight gain was slow, her willingness to eat improved leaps and bounds. Now she had only the occasional melt down, and over the strangest things; when he put a plate of nachos in front of her, she finished them without a problem in thirty minutes. However, when he put a Cesar chicken salad in front of her, she sobbed and took three hours to finish the meal.

"Well, the thing is: I just really hate asparagus," Bella said, holding up the head and twirling it on her fork. Severus smiled.

"I hear you," he said. "Here's the deal: you eat that last bite like I know you can, and I won't make you eat asparagus again, okay?"

Bella groaned.

"Really? You're really going to make me eat this? There's probably only 10 calories in it anyway… it's an asparagus!"

Severus chuckled.

"It's the rule Bella, remember: you will clear your plate all the time every time. No negotiations."

Bella sighed and stuck the offending green vegetable in her mouth.

"Happy?" she asked, making a face.

"Deliriously," Severus said, folding the page of the book to hold his spot. "How do you feel?"

Bella sat back in the chair, and rubbed her stomach. "A little bloated but it's not actually that bad tonight."

Severus breathed a sigh of relief; while Bella had become much calmer during most meals, she was still experiencing routine pain after eating. He had played around with a stomach soothing potion to the point her pain was improving. While it wasn't all the way gone, it was much easier to manage.

"Good. That's really good."

Bella stood and stretched her legs. She was bundled up in sweats, a sweatshirt, and her yellow scarf. The oddest thing was happening to her; during the past two weeks, her body temperature soared from boiling hot to frigid cold with no warning or tangible cause.

"Are you cold?" Severus asked, placing his hand on her forehead. He had discussed this with Poppy at one of Bella's tri-weekly checkins and discovered it was a mild symptom of Re-feeding Syndrome; it was something to keep an eye on but nothing to fret over.

"A little," Bella admitted, yawning. Eating really took it out of her, especially dinner. For some reason it was always the meal she struggled with the most.

"Why don't you lay down and I'll read to you?" Severus offered, clearing the plates with a swoosh of his wand.

"Could we do something else?" Bella asked, her voice full of hope.

Severus eyed her warily. There was a Quidditch match going on and he was worried she wanted to attend; he would have to say no. She needed rest until she was further along in her treatment.

"Like what?"

"Well, I was thinking we could walk down to the field and watch the game."

Severus studied his daughter; in the 14 short days she had been there, she had managed to eat six times a day, gain five pounds, and follow all of his rules. And she did so with an admirable spirit. He was so incredibly proud of her and wanted her to enjoy herself in whatever way possible while enduring this illness. But at the same time he had to keep the bottom line in mind: she was still ill. If given the chance, he was positive she would stop eating. She was still underweight, and her vitals still poor. Combined with her mild symptoms of Re-feeding Syndrome, he was tempted to put her on complete bed rest.

"Not tonight sweetie," he said, walking to where she stood and sitting beside her. She nodded sadly. "Trust me: there will be dozens of other matches during the year." Once again, Bella just nodded. "I'm sorry I have to be so tough but you're doing so well and working so hard and I don't want any setbacks; it's cold and wet outside, and I don't want you to exert yourself or fall ill. Let's take it easy tonight, and then we can plan something special for when your mother comes over this weekend. How does that sound?"

"Really? We can do that?" Bella asked, her eyes bright.

"Of course. You've been so brave and strong and you deserve the chance to let loose. Let me think of some viable options and we can talk about it during breakfast."

"That sounds really good," Bella said, laying back on the couch.

"So what would you like to do? I'm sure your uncle Albus would love to keep you company after the match…"

Bella shook her head.

"That's okay," she said, her cheeks flushing. Severus thought he knew what this was about. Albus watched over Bella during the afternoon when Severus was teaching and she had a minor meltdown when it came time to eat her snack: a peanut butter and jelly bagel. She broke down crying, and Albus said she was embarrassed afterwards.

"Sweetie, you have no reason to feel embarrassed around your uncle. He loves you and loves spending time with you," Severus said, squeezing Bella's hand. She just nodded.

"I think I'll study," she said, changing the subject. Severus sighed but didn't press the matter; he handed her a French book and turned up the heat. Brownie sat beside Bella as she practiced conjugating verbs. At seven, there was a knock at the door. Assuming it was her uncle, she didn't look up; however, when her father opened the door she heard an unfamiliar voice.

"Ah, Mr. Potter, you're right on time. Come in," Bella heard her father say, and she looked up to see a student her age walking into her living room. Stunned, she dropped her pencil.

"Hi," the boy said, smiling warmly at Bella.

"Hi," she said, glaring at her dad.

"Mr. Potter, this is my daughter Bella. Bella, this is Harry. Harry is here to serve detention. Usually students meet me in the classroom, however, Mr. Potter was busy during the day and had to come this evening."

Bella cringed; she looked like a fat homeless person in her sweatpants and shirt. She didn't even remember if she took a shower today.

"It's nice to meet you Bella," Harry said, walking forward to shake her hand. Bella grabbed his warm hand. "Geez, your hands are like ice."

Bella stole her hand back and watched as her father turned the heat up even more.

"Mr. Potter, you are to complete your essay. I want you to stay in the living room at all times. The same goes for you Bella. If you need anything, come and get me. That means going into your room, or anywhere else for that matter. Okay?"

Bella could have killed her dad. Now Harry would definitely know something was wrong with her. She just nodded.

"While Harry is here, I'm going to take the time to brew some potions in my personal lab. I'll just be down the hall. Potter, you will sit right there. All your books are waiting," Severus said, pointing to the chair across from Bella. "If you need to use the restroom or anything Mr. Potter, shout and I'll come out, okay?"

Bella's face turned red as Harry nodded. Her father had not left her alone once except for when she was sleep since she'd moved in; even then, she was sure he cast a spell that alerted him when she woke because he would always come in a few seconds later. She knew he was making sure she couldn't purge or exercise, but this was downright humiliating.

Bella watched incredulously as her father disappeared down the hall way. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt this self-conscious.

"So, how do you like it here at Hogwarts?" A voice asked, disrupting her thoughts.

Bella turned to face Harry, and caught her reflection in one of the bay windows. Her black hair was tied back in a messy bun and she had Alfredo sauce on her sweatshirt. Her socks were different colors; one bright green and the other pink. Her pink scarf was wrapped tightly around her neck and her skin was pale. Basically, she looked deranged.

"Bella?" Harry asked, watching her as he opened his potions textbook.

"Great," Bella said, looking into his green eyes. "Hogwarts is great."

"Yeah, I'm from the Muggle world too and Hogwarts amazed me at first," he said, unrolling parchment paper and grabbing a quill from his bag. Bella watched in fascination.

"Yeah, it's really different from what I'm used to but I really like being with my dad. I miss him a lot when he's here," Bella said, wondering why she was babbling so much.

"It's weird for us to think of Professor Snape as a father," Harry said, smiling. "Everyone is so afraid of him."

Bella laughed.

"The thought of people being afraid of my dad is hilarious to me. He's so nice to my mom and I," Bella said, smiling.

"Don't take this the wrong way or anything but you have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen," Harry said, staring into hers.

Bella looked down and blushed.

"Yours aren't so bad either," she said, smiling. Harry laughed. Bella stood to get her other French book when Harry stood as well.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," he said, his hands raised. Bella stopped in her tracks. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I just need to get a different book," she explained, pointing to the kitchen counter.

"Why don't you just take a seat and I'll grab it for you?" Harry said, walking over to the counter.

"Why?" Bella asked, perplexed.

"With the way your father was looking at me, he made it pretty darn clear that he wanted you to remain seated. I'm surprised he didn't superglue you to the couch, actually. So in order to save my own butt, let me get the book for you."

Bella sat down, her face crimson.

"I'm not some invalid you know," she said, taking the book from Harry.

"I never said you were," he said, sitting back down in his chair.

"Good," Bella said, returning her attention to her French book. The pair worked in silence for thirty minutes before Severus walked into the room, a steaming cup of tea in his hands. Bella looked at him, appealing for mercy even though she knew she would find none. Severus handed her the calorie ridden tea, which she sipped at slowly.

Severus checked on Harry's progress and whispered something to him. Bella knew what he said: make sure she drinks it, let me know if she spills it, etc. Bella was livid. How could her father flounce her condition around like this… in front of a student, nonetheless? Didn't he know how embarrassed she'd be?

Within another twenty minutes, she finished the tea. Her stomach was now beginning to ache from fullness. Brownie jumped up on the couch beside her and she snuggled into his familiar comfort. She felt unusually sleepy for eight in the evening and found her French homework blurring together. No longer able to fight it, she allowed her eyes to close hoping Harry wouldn't notice.

"How's it going Mr. Potter?" she heard a voice ask from far away.

"I'm halfway done," someone responded.

"That's sufficient for this evening. I expect you here at the same time tomorrow to finish up."

"Yes, sir."

Bella smiled in her dream. People called her father sir. That was funny.

"How did she do?"

"She finished all her tea pretty quickly and then fell asleep right after."

"Sleeping potions have that effect on people."

Sleeping potion? Bella thought. Why would her father give her a sleeping potion?

"Well, goodnight Mr. Potter. I'll see you in class tomorrow."

Bella heard the door open and close and felt the couch dip beside her. The door opened again and she heard a different voice this time.

"Good evening Poppy. Thanks for coming up," she heard her father say, but this time he was very close to her.

"It's no problem," Poppy assured him, and Bella felt her sit on the couch beside her.

"It hasn't gotten better. Tonight she was freezing cold."

She heard Poppy sigh, "Poor little thing… well, this should help balance her electrolytes. We may have to do multiple treatments if her temperatures are all over the place again tomorrow."

"Well hopefully this will do the trick. I've given her a light sleeping potion to make this easier. She has quite the phobia of needles."

Bella's insides squirmed. Needles? What were they going to do to her with needles?

"You will need to leave this in for about three hours, and make sure she is quite still or else it will tear her skin and come out."

She felt something wet on the inside of her elbow and moaned. What were they doing to her?

"Shhhh baby, it's okay," she heard her father say while she felt him hold her arm in place. Bella tried to move, tried to say something but found she was too exhausted. Suddenly, she felt another strong hand on her arm and then a dull ache in the crook of her arm. It grew in intensity as the needle was taped in its resting place.

"Dad," she slurred, appealing for help.

She felt her father's lips on her forehead as he thanked Poppy. He stroked her arm and she felt the pain return to a dull ache.

"Go to sleep sweetheart," he said, stroking her hair. With her father beside her and Brownie snuggled up to her, she did just that.


	7. Truth

Bella stepped out of the shower and cleared the mirror of condensation; she studied her reflection. Wide blue eyes stared back at her. Her pale face looked rounder. She shook the thought out of her head; it wasn't like she gained all nine pounds in her cheeks.

Bella ran her fingers over her ribcage. She tried to put on a brave face for her dad but this was killing her. Every meal, every bite, was an immense struggle. Over the past week, pain like she had never experienced washed over her time and time again. She finally understood she would never see Reece again; they would never lay under the stars together talking about their hopes and dreams, they would never ride the Tube again on the way to school, they would never laugh together again. But what got Bella the most was the fact they would never talk again. Reece was her other half, and quite frankly she didn't know how to function without him.

Bella breathed deeply and towel dried her hair. She knew her parents were doing the right thing; she accepted that she was alive and Reece was dead. Some sick, small part of her was jealous. Reece got off easy. He was dead. He didn't have to try and pick up all the pieces of his broken life and put them back together.

"Is everything okay in there sweetie?" Her father asked, interrupting her thoughts as he knocked softly on the door.

"Yes," Bella said softly, her voice thick as she pulled on her sweater and lounge pants.

"Can you please come out?"

"I'm coming," Bella said, hanging up her towel and grabbing her brush.

She opened the door and found her father standing right on the other side. She rolled her eyes. Her father had always been overprotective of her; she assumed it was from his years as a Death Eater. She didn't know much about that time in her father's life but she did know that he was familiar with the evil in this world and that tended to make him overly cautious as far as Bella's safety and health.

"Dad, I know you're just worried but I promise you I've never thrown up intentionally and I have no plans to change that…"

Out of the corner of her eye, Bella saw a figure move in the living room; she peered around her father and saw Harry Potter writing his essay relaxed on her couch. He was polite enough to pretend he didn't hear anything but there was no way he missed their conversation.

Seething, Bella grabbed her father's shirt and pulled him into the bathroom.

"What's up with this kid? Did he blow up your classroom or something?"

"What?" Severus asked, prying her fingers from his shirt.

"This is the second night in a row he's here. You could have told me so I didn't have a nice chat about vomiting in front of him," she said, smacking her father's arm.

"He cursed a student in my classroom. Uncle Albus is giving him private lessons during the normal detention hours so now is the only time I'm available. Plus, he could use the extra help."

"Well I could use some privacy!" Bella said. "Do you think it's easy for me to have you parading my condition around in front of him?"

"I'm doing no such thing. I haven't walked up to him and discussed in depth your Anorexia Nervosa."

"Well you may as well have," Bella accused. "First you bring me my 'special tea' while he's sitting right next to me and then you make him think I can't even walk to the kitchen counter to grab my French book and now you're hovering outside my bathroom door just waiting for me to throw up…"

Severus shook his head, hands in the air.

"I'm sorry if you feel I'm 'parading your condition' around in front of Mr. Potter but I don't think the situation is as dire as you're making it out to be Bella. Mr. Potter is many things but dumb is not one of them; your physical appearance alone makes it clear you're ill. It shouldn't be any surprise to him that I want you to take it easy or that you need medicine."

"Fine, fine, fine," Bella said, waving her hands in the air. It had been a long while since Severus had seen her so obstinate; he actually was quite glad for it and considered it as sign of her returning health. "Just limit the amount of embarrassing behavior from this point forward will you?"

"Yes," said Severus seriously. His smile gave him away.

"Now I'm going to go study in my bedroom," Bella said, heading for the door. Her father caught her hand.

"I don't think so Bella. I want you either in Mr. Potter's company or my own."

"But there's nowhere to study in your lab," Bella whined.

"Well there are plenty of places to study in the living room," Severus offered.

"He's sitting in my spot," Bella complained, hands on her hips.

"I think you'll live," her father said, stroking her face.

"What?" Bella asked, exasperated.

"Well, even if it's out of frustration it's still really good to see you acting like your old self."

"I'm glad this amuses you," Bella said, wrenching the door open and walking out with as much dignity as she could muster. When she looked over to Harry, she saw he had moved spots. Her face turned bright red when she realized he could hear their entire conversation. She grabbed her laptop so she could practice her pronunciation with her head phones; that way at least he wouldn't expect her to talk.

She ignored her father and Harry as she sat on the couch and pulled a blanket over top of her terrycloth bunny slippers. She was sure it was her father's mission in life to embarrass her. She was 30 minutes into her hour lesson when she noticed Harry standing beside her.

"What?" Bella grumbled, removing her headphones.

"Your father asked me to give this to you," he said, holding out her customary tea cup. Sighing heavily, Bella reached out a hand to grab it. "If it makes you feel better, he made me one too."

Bella smiled as she took her first sip. The soothing warmth she had grown to appreciate spread through her body, and she relaxed down into the couch cushions.

"What're you studying?" Harry asked as he took his own tea and walked back to his seat.

"French," Bella said, smiling. "I want to live in Paris next year during my last year of high school."

"Wow… that's really brave," Harry said, leaning toward her and taking a sip of his tea.

Bella could tell from the look on his face that he wasn't expecting it to be so strong.

"It's okay," she said softly, looking at her tea cup. "I know you know about… me. You don't have to drink the tea to make me feel better."

"Hey, I really like this tea. I'll be sure to get the recipe for the next time I have to play a Quidditch match in a blizzard; it'll warm me right up."

Bella laughed softly, still unable to meet his eyes.

"And for the record, I didn't exactly curse a student in your father's class. I may have accidentally fallen on my wand after a bully insulted my best friend and said bully may have incidentally grown slimy green warts all over his face."

"Well it sounds like fate intervened," Bella said, this time meeting his eyes. She was startled; he was studying her intensely, and the depth of his green eyes unnerved her. "I'll be sure to talk to my dad about punishing a student for something clearly out of his control."

"I would appreciate that," Harry said, setting his tea down and picking up his books.

All of the sudden, Bella had a sharp stomach pain. She tried to hide it, but she winced.

"Are you okay? Do you need me to get your dad?" Harry asked, standing.

Bella shook her head.

"Are you sure?"

Bella nodded.

"I'm fine," she said, breathing deeply.

"You don't look fine," Harry said, sitting back down.

"Why you sure know how to compliment a lady now don't you?" Bella joked, closing her eyes.

"I just meant you look sick," Harry said, faltering.

Bella laughed.

"Look at me. Of course I look sick. I am sick."

"I know," Harry whispered, looking down. "Your dad told me to get him if you needed anything. He said to get him if it even looked like you needed anything. To me, it looks like you need something."

Bella shook her head.

"He can't do anything," she explained. "I'll be fine. Really. Can we please just get back to studying now?"

Harry examined her carefully, and then nodded.

"Good. Thank you," Bella said, before slipping her ear phones over her head.

Once again, for the second night in a row, Bella found herself dozing off on the couch in front of Brownie and her new friend. She woke slightly as Harry was packing up his things.

"Monday night, same time." She heard her father say.

"Sounds good sir," Harry said.

Bella could hear Severus open the door for Harry.

"For the record sir, I'm sorry about your daughter."

Bella's ears perked up.

"What do you mean Potter?" Severus asked.

"She just seems really sweetie is all. She doesn't deserve such a terrible disease."

She heard her father sigh.

"I whole heartedly concur Mr. Potter."

"Well, have a good night Sir."

"And you Mr. Potter."


End file.
